Dowson delighted with Saints' strength in depth as Cruse signs new deal

The stocks in the hooker position are vast, with Saints already having Sam Matavesi, Robbie Smith and new signing Curtis Langdon tied down to contracts for next season.

They also have talented youngsters Aston Gradwick-Light and England Under-20s player Craig Wright.

And now they can also call upon Cruse, who has made a good impression since joining the club midway through last season.

A reliable set-piece operator, the 34-year-old made 114 appearances and scored 21 tries for Wasps in six full seasons, before the club was placed into administration in 2022.

The 100kg hooker began his career with local club Stockport, rising through the ranks in Sale Sharks’ academy and impressing with Macclesfield in National Two North before securing a move to Championship outfit Rotherham Titans.

During a two-season spell at Clifton Lane, Cruse scored 11 tries in 44 appearances, and was named in the Championship dream team as the league’s stand-out hooker.

That caught the attention of London Irish, where he made 14 appearances during the 2015/16 season, before a move to Wasps beckoned.

Cruse was named the club’s players’ player of the season during the 2017/18 campaign as he racked up 24 appearances and seven tries.

Cruse joined the men in black, green and gold from Edinburgh last season, having moved north of the border on a short-term deal.

He also played for the Barbarians against Bath Rugby in November 2022, starting for the invitational side as they claimed a last-minute win.

And Saints boss Dowson said: “We were hugely impressed by Tom when he came into the group midway through the season – impressed by his competitive nature, by his communication skills, by the energy he brings in everything he does, and by the way he drives our standards.

“He’s a good man and a very good, experienced player who can do a lot of the things all over the park that we like, and with Tom signed up alongside the other hookers already in place for the 2023/24 season, we’re confident we have one of the strongest and deepest line-ups in that position in the Premiership.”